Tobacco basket reinforcing means



March 3, 1959 J. MOKNIGHT 2,875,920..

} TOBACCO BASKET REINFORCING MEANS Filed May 10, 1957 INVENT OR.

ATTORNEYS JOHN L;- M 1 United States Patent 2,875,920 TOBACCO BASKET REINFORCING MEANS JohnL. McKnight, Yadkinville, N. C., assignor to J. M. McKnight and Sons, Yadkinville, N..'C., a partnership composed of John M. McKnight, Robert F. McKnight, and John L. McKnight Application May 10, 1957, Serial No. 658,376

7 Claims. (Cl. 220-83) same amount since the tobacco is customarily weighed.

and sold while in the baskets so that a difference in the weight of any basket will be reflected in the price paid for the tobacco. While it is important that the baskets be uniform in weight and made from a light weight material, it is also important that the concave shape of the basket not be destroyed during use to facilitate the arrangement and display of the tobacco on the basket and therefore the basket must be durable enough to withstand considerable abuse during use.

While the Patent No. 2,726,010 discloses a light weight basket which remains uniform in weight, it has been found to be too fragile if not carefully used and if dropped on its bottom and corners the basket will be damaged and the bottom bent out of shape. Additional supporting or bracing means are shown in the Patent No. D178,255 and while this bracing means supports the bottom of the basket it is not fixed to the bottom of the basket and when upward pressure is applied to the bottom of the basket the bottom of the basket may become bent out of shape so that this support means offers adequate protection to the basket botton and corners in only one direction.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide an improved reinforcing means for the basket which includes the combination of a first reinforcing means connected to the frame of the basket and extending beneath the bottom of the basket for supporting the bottom in.

the event downward pressure is applied against the bottom of the basket and a second reinforcing means connected to the first means and engageable with the upper side of the bottom of the basket and adjacent each corner thereof, for reinforcing the bottom of the basket against upward pressure against the bottom of the basket.

It is another object of this. invention to provide first and second reinforcing means for tobacco baskets which are of light weight material to add only a slight amount of weight to each basket and which reinforcing means will be uniform in weight to thus maintain each basket within a very close weight tolerance. I

It is another object of this invention to provide reinforcing means for a tobacco basket which includes providing a first reinforcing means of light weight rod material which extends diagonally of the tobacco basket and follows closely the curvature of the bottom of the tobacco basket to receive the full impact of a blow from above against the bottom of the basket, such as when the basket is stepped on while it is in an upright position. Second rial making up the bottom of the tobacco basket to hold the bottom of the basket against the first reinforcing means and support the bottom of the basket when pressure is directed against the bottom of the basket in an upward direction.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an isometric view looking downwardly at a tobacco basket and showing the improved reinforcing means therewith;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary isometric view looking upwardly from beneath the basket, at the foremost corner of the basket in Figure 1 and showing the improved reinforcing means attached thereto;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through one corner of the basket and being taken substantially along the line 33 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the second reinforcing means, removed from the basket and the first reinforcing means;

Figure 5 is an end view of the second reinforcing means looking at the right-hand end of Figure 4.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, and more particularly to Figure 1, the body portion of the basket includes side walls and a bottom, the latter being formed from a plurality of longitudinally extending spaced substantially parallel slats or strips indicated at 10, the slats 10 preferably being formed of metal. The slats 10 are loosely interwoven with a plurality of transversely extending spaced substantially parallel slats or strips 11 also preferably made from metal. Opposite ends of the longitudinal slats 10 are spot welded or otherwise suitably secured to the upper surfaces of substantially rectangularly-shaped arcuate side walls or panels 12 and 13, and opposite ends of the transverse slats 11 are suitably secured to the upper surfaces of substantially rectangular arcuate panels or side walls 14 and 15. It will be noted that each of the panels 12, 13, 14 and 15 are of substantially the same size and shape and each are curved outwardly and upwardly from the proximal ends of the slat members 10 and 11. The upper edges of the panels are curved back upon themselves through a sufiicient radius to form tubular portions 16 therein and .the outer edges of the panel members 12, 13, 14 and 15 may be suitably secured to the body of the panels in any suitable manner, such as by spot welding.

A continuous substantially rectangularframe member, preferably made from a metal rod, is broadly indicated at 20, and forms the rim of the basket by extending through the tubular portion 16 of the arcuate panels 12, 13, 14- and 15.

It is with this type of tobacco basket that the present invention is to be associated.

The improved reinforcing means for the tobacco It will be noted by referring to Figures 1 and 2, that the inner proximal corners of each of the basket includes a first reinforcing means indicated broadsupport member which extends diagonally from corner to corner of the tobacco basket. The first support member comprises a substantially parallel pair of rods 26 and 27 whichfollow the contour of the bottom of the basket and are joined at opposite ends by integral arcuate portions 28 and 29. The arcuate portions 28 and 29 are bent to follow the contour of the curved corner 21 of the frame member 20 and are suitably secured thereto as by welding. A second support member extends from ppositecorners of the tobacco basket and crosses the first support member in perpendicular relationship and comprises a pair of substantially parallel rods 31 and 32 which are joined at opposite ends by integral arcuate portions 33 and 34. The arcuate portions 33 and 34 are bent to conform to the curved portions 21 of the frame member and are suitably secured thereto as by welding.

In order that the bottom of the tobacco basket may be supported on a level horizontal plane by the. rods 26, 27, 31 and v32, the rods 26 and 27 are bent as at 35 to pass over the respective rods 31 and 32. The bent portions 35 thus extend upwardly through the open mesh bottom of the basket and provide a level support along the upper surface of the rods 26, 27, 31 and 32 for support of the bottom of the tobacco basket. This first reinforcing means, including the rods 26, 27, 31 and 32, provides suitable support against downward pressure on the bottom of the tobacco basket and will lend rigidity to the tobacco basket, but will not prevent the bottom of the basket from being moved upwardly away from supporting engagement with the rods 26, 27, 31 and 32 since the bottom of the basket is not connected to the first reinforcing means. The bottom of the basket cannot be welded to the rods 26, 27, 31 and 32 since the bottom is constructed of such light weight material that it would burn whenwelded.

The second reinforcing means includes a plurality of bridging members, broadly indicated at 36 (Figure 4), and each of which includes a brace member 37, opposite ends of which are suitably connected to the inner surface I claim:

1. In a tobacco basket having a deformable light weight foraminated sheet metal bottom and a rectangular rigid frame, said bottom supported by said frame and depending from said frame and having openings adjacent each corner of said frame, the combination therewith of first reinforcing means connected to said frame at each corner and passing diagonally across the outer surface of said bottom and engageable throughout its length with the bottom, and second reinforcing means fixed on said first reinforcing means and extending through the openings and over the edge of the bottom to engage the inner surface of said basket and limit movement of said bottom first reinforcing means connected to said frame at each.

corner and. passing diagonally across the outer surface of. said bottom and engaging the contour of said bottom throughout its length, bracing members fixed on said first reinforcing means, and bottom support rods fixed on said bracing members and extending through the openings andover. the edge of the bottom adjacent each corner of said basket to engage the inner surface of said basket and limit movement of said bottom away from said first reinforcing of the rods. 26, 27, 31 and 32 adjacent the openings at each corner of the tobacco basket. The brace member 37 may be curved-throughout its length or bent as at 40 so that the medial portion thereof willengage a level surface, such as the floor, at approximately the same time as the 'bars. 26, 27, 31 and 32 engage the surface (Figure 3). One end of a bottom hold-down rod 42 is fixedly secured to the medial portion of the brace member 37, as by welding, and is disposed to lie in confining engagement with the overlapping portions of the panel members 12, .13, 14 and 15, at their junctures. Since one of the bottom hold-downmembers 42 engage each corner of. thebottoxn of' the tobacco basket, the lower surface of the tobacco. basket bottom will be firmly held against the upper surface of the support rods 26, 27, 31 and.32. even when upward pressure is applied against the bottom of the tobacco basket from beneath the basket.

It is thus seen that an improved reinforcing means, for relatively light weight sheet metal tobacco baskets has beenprovided. which support or reinforcing means is of relatively lightweight material to lend rigidity to the framework of the tobacco basket, to protect the light weight sheet metal basket from abuse during use and to provide support for the bottom of the tobacco basket in case of downward pressure on the bottom of the basket or upward pressure against the bottom of the tobacco basket.

.In the drawings and specification there has been set forth ,a preferred embodiment of the invention and, a1- though specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being, defined in the claimsmeans.

3. In a tobacco basket having a deformable bottom and a rectangular frame, said bottom supported by said frame and depending from said frame, the combination therewith of first reinforcing means connected to the corners of said frame and engaging the contour of the outer surface of said bottom, bracing members fixed on said first reinforcing means-adjacent each corner of said bottom, and. bottom support rods fixed on said bracing :members and extending over the edge of the bottom in engagement with the inner surface of said bottom.

4. In a tobacco basket having a fiat foraminated bottom formed from a plurality of substantially parallel slats extending in one direction and a plurality of substantially parallel second slats extending in at least one other direction and interwoven with the first slats, a first pair of rectangular panels secured at their proximal edges to opposite ends of the slats extending in one direction, a

second pair of panels secured at their proximal edges panels, and said rigid bar being confined within'said tubular channels, the first pair of panels having the inner corners secured to the inner corners of the second pair of panels, the rigid bar having rounded exposed corners serving ashandles for the basket, the proximal edges of adjacent panels and the rounded exposed corners of the rigid bar defining unobstructed openings therebetween, and the configuration of saidpanels being such that they constitute a gently rising continuation of the foraminated flat bottom whereby said panels and the openings therebetween may be utilized for the storage and ventilation of tobacco positioned on the bottom of the basket, the combination therewith of first bottom reinforcing means connected to said rigid bar at each corner and passing diagonally across the bottom of said basket while engaging the bottom throughout its length, and second reinforcing means fixed on said first reinforcing means and extending through said openings formed between the proximal ends of adjacent panels at each corner of said basket and over the edge of the panelsadjacent the openings to engage the inner surface of said basket and limit movement of said bottom away from said first reinforcing means.

5. In a structure according to claim 4 wherein said first bottom reinforcing means comprises a first pair of substantially parallel rods connected to first diagonally opposed comers of said rigid bar, and a second pair of substantially parallel rods connected to the second diagonally opposed corners of said rigid bar.

6. In a structure according to claim 5 wherein said second reinforcing means comprising bracing members fixed between said parallel rods and adjacent the openings at each corner, and bottom hold-down members fixed on said bracing members and engageable with the inner corners of said panels.

7. In a tobacco basket having a deformable light weight sheet metal rectangular body portion and a supporting frame circumscribing the body portion, said body portion having openings therein at opposed corners through the openings and over the edge of the body portion in overlying relation to the inner surface of the body portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 799,405 Ryan Sept. 12, 1905 904,026 Styers Nov. 17, 1908 1,759,993 McGill May 27, 1930 1,839,210 Felts et al. Jan. 5, 1932 2,726,010 McKnight Dec. 6, 1955 

